The present invention relates to a bulkhead for a cargo vehicle, and more specifically, a multiple configuration bulkhead.
Cargo vehicles, such as commercial vans and the like, typically have a bulkhead separating the driver and passenger space from the cargo space. Bulkheads separate the driver and passenger space from the cargo space by extending from one side of the vehicle to the other and from the floor of the vehicle to the ceiling. Bulkheads typically consist of a one-piece sheet metal design, but could also be a multi-piece assembly such that two large stampings spot welded together form a box beam where the upper and lower portions overlap. Plywood and high strength plastics have also been used for bulkheads. Bulkheads also often have a portion cut out near the top so as to serve as a window for the driver to see into the cargo space and beyond the rear of the vehicle via use of the rearview mirror.
Current bulkhead design provides a fixed cavity projecting rearward of the primary plane of the bulkhead behind the driver and passenger seat backs. The cavity permits the seat backs to be reclined for a more comfortable seating position for the driver and passenger. However, while providing driver and passenger comfort, this fixed cavity projects into the cargo space thereby limiting total cargo capacity as well as compromising the ability to load large objects through the side cargo door.
Elimination of the cavity so that maximum cargo capacity is ensured, however, would then infringe upon maximum driver and passenger comfort. It would therefore be beneficial to have a bulkhead that is reconfigurable in more than one position so that driver and passenger comfort and available cargo space can easily be altered to suit the specific needs of the people and cargo in the vehicle at a particular time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a multiple configuration bulkhead that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a feature of the present invention that the multiple configuration bulkhead can be installed in more than one position such that in the first position, the cavity projects rearward and the space available for the vehicle occupants is maximized and in the second position, the bulkhead is reversed so that the cavity projects forward thereby increasing the cargo capacity of the vehicle.
The present invention advantageously provides a multiple configuration bulkhead including an operator space having seats with seat backs, a cargo space having a predetermined width and height adjacent the operator space, a stationary portion therebetween extending substantially the width and height of the cargo space having a cut out portion, and a removable upper portion detachably carried by the cut out portion of the stationary portion.